Test Image of Earth Rocks by Mars Camera

This view of terrestrial rocks was taken by a testing twin -- the "life test unit" -- of the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) camera on NASA's Mars Science Laboratory.


The rounded gray cobble at lower right is about 11 cm (4.3 inches) in its longest dimension. As a demonstration of how MAHLI's adjustable focus may be used on Mars, this image can be compared with PIA13584, a closer-up view of this same cobble revealing smaller details on its surface. The inscribed rectangle indicates the portion of the rock covered in the close-up view.


Last Update: 22 Nov 2011 (AMB)

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Malin Space Science Systems